In April 2013, the Return to Play law was passed in Ohio. The law features three key rules that all tournaments, coaches, referees, officials, and athletes and their families must abide by:

Rule One: Coaches, referees, or officials must remove from play an athlete exhibiting the signs and symptoms of a concussion during practice or a game. (See O.R.C. 3707.511 (D)(1).) Once a coach, referee, or other official removes an athlete from a game the decision cannot be overturned.

Rule Two:The athlete cannot return to play on the same day that he or she is removed after exhibiting symptoms of a concussion. (See O.R.C. 3707.511 (E)(1).)

Rule Three: The athlete is not permitted to return to play until he or she has been assessed by a physician or licensed health care provider approved by the youth sports organization and received written clearance. (See O.R.C. 3707.511 (E)(1).) This written clearance must be submitted to, and approved by, a tournament director before the athlete is permitted to return to play.

All coaches participating in an Ohio sanctioned tournament MUST complete a concussion training course and provide a copy of their certification of completion to the tournament. If your coach does not currently have a certificate of completion for a concussion training course, he/she can click here for information for the free online course through NFHS.